God-given gifts...

In addition to strengths and passions, I cannot miss the fact that we also have God-given gifts. There is so much that could be shared about the gifts, but simply put... they are given uniquely to each one of us by God through His Spirit, to be used for the benefit of others, for His glory.

N.T. Wright suggests this is how “Jesus makes the church into his own ‘fullness’, giving us his own presence by the Spirit.” He goes on to say, “What matters is that, even with all the different gifts that Jesus has lavished on the church, it is the same Jesus, the same Lord, who is personally present, by the spirit, in each of them.”

You’ll find lists of the different gifts in the following three passages in scripture – Romans 12:1-8, 1 Corinthians 12, and Ephesians 4:11-13. Each gift is of equal value, not to be neglected. They range from helping others, to teaching, to giving, to administration, and so many others. The important thing is that we use our gifts! 1 Peter 4:10 (NLT) speaks to this: “God has given gifts to each of you from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Manage them well so that God’s generosity can flow through you.”

I find it interesting that both the Romans and 1 Corinthians passages on the gifts are followed up with the importance of doing all things in love. “Love must be sincere,” Paul says in Romans 12:9. And most people are familiar with 1 Corinthians 13 that rings with the message that we can use all the gifts, but if “I didn’t love others, I would be of no value whatsoever.”

Strengths. Passions. Gifts.

Done in love.

Give God glory.